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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522136">Crash</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoruChaos/pseuds/KoruChaos'>KoruChaos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Give Up the Funk [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Friday Night Funkin' (Video Game), Friday Night Funkin' Mods</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Fairgrounds, Gen, I have Hex and Whitty brainrot, Injury of a robot, Mental Health Issues, Rated T for swearing, Social Anxiety, Whitty needs a friend, headaches mentioned repeatedly, mental breakdown briefly mentioned, the fnf subreddit has Whitty brainrot, this made more sense in my head lmao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:01:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522136</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoruChaos/pseuds/KoruChaos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Whitmore is already having a shitty day so far.</p><p>Then he gets hit square in the face with a fucking basketball.</p><p> </p><p>  <span class="u"><br/><em>[UPDATE]: Now a series!</em><br/></span></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(can be read as romantic if you want to), Hex &amp; Whitty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Give Up the Funk [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2224800</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>373</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Crash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Whitmore is already having a shitty day so far.</p><p>Then he gets hit square in the face with a fucking basketball.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Whitmore wakes up behind a dumpster with a raging headache. Overall not too out of the ordinary for him as of late. He manages to force himself upright, and is immediately hit in the face with a basketball and falls back over onto his ass.</p><p>His ears are also instantly assaulted by a horribly shrill, somehow incredibly guilty-sounding "<em><strong>FWEEEEEEE-BOOP!</strong></em>"</p><p>"Dammit," Whitmore groans. The awful racket the other person is making isn't helping his headache, and his nerves are ramping up again. That isn't great, especially not so soon after having another breakdown. "Can you just go away, dude? I ain't feelin' good."</p><p>Obnoxious metallic footsteps clunk towards him, and a cold set of pinchers grabs onto his hand and hauls him up to his feet. Whitmore finds himself haphazardly leaning on the other person, trying his best to keep himself steady without their help, but his numb feet and migrane refuse to cooperate with him and let him stand on his own.</p><p>He glances down at the person, surprised that they're still putting up with him- <em>sheesh, how drunk must he look?-</em> and almost as surprised that he doesn't have to look down nearly as far as he usually does. The guy's still shorter than him, that's a given, but it's only by a few inches for once. It's nice not having to crane his neck to look them in the face. Er, well, <em>screen</em> in this case.</p><p>Yes, <strong>screen.</strong> Because apparently the guy who'd just hit him in the face with a basketball, shrieked an apology at him, and tried to get him stand back up in the span of two minutes is a robot, and giving him a look so genuinely concerned that Whitmore actually feels a little guilty for snapping at him. "Alright, fucking hell," he grumbles, "I'm sorry, man. I'm probably freaking you out right now, huh?"</p><p>The robot shrugs a little and goes to retrieve his basketball, proudly presents it to Whitmore, and tilts his head in the general direction of the park with an amicable "Boo-wheeep?" He's smiling brightly now, apparently happy to see Whitmore up on his own two feet again, and gestures in the direction of the park again, miming flinging the basketball into a hoop. Fortunately, the basketball itself doesn't actually go flying this time.</p><p>Whitmore shrugs. "Eh, sure, why not?" Pointing sternly at the robot, he adds "Just make sure not to hit me with that thing again, I'm not in the mood to get biffed with it another time."</p><p>The robot nods with a happy "Beep!" but pauses before they actually leave. He points to himself, then flashes the letters H, E and X up on his screen.</p><p>"Hex, huh?" Whitmore asks. Returning Hex's broad grin, he holds his hand out to him and says "Name's Whitty. Good to meet ya, Hex."</p><p>Hex practically vibrates out of his frame with excitement and shakes Whitty's hand enthusiastically, then goes tearing off towards the park with a gleeful "Beebip!" with Whitty's wrist still firmly in his grip.</p><p>Whitty laughs as he realizes that for the first time in nearly a decade, he's glad that his legs are as long as they are. He has no idea how he'd keep up with this maniac otherwise.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love these dumbasses so much you have no idea, they're so fucking pretty too they're great<br/>god you can tell I'm such a robotfucker teratophile just from reading that</p><p>Edit: I had to update this for punctuation because I forgot a period at the end of a WHOLE ASS PARAGRAPH and I want to scream</p><p>Edit 2, Electric Boogaloo: This got mentioned on the FNF subreddit for the Whitty brainrot tag lmao<br/>https://www.reddit.com/r/FridayNightFunkin/comments/ln7u1k/whitty_screaming_memes/?utm_medium=android_app&amp;utm_source=share</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The voices don't want to shut up tonight.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Couple notes: Hex switches between verbal communication and text a couple times, and I've tried to mix Whitty's real backstory with his FNF backstory.</p><p>Aside from that, I also feel as if this reads slightly less platonically than the first chapter. That will likely only get worse from here, but I'll try to at least keep it ambiguous in most of these. Warning just in case so you can read it as either.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He shouldn't have let himself get attached. He knew it would end badly, knew that something would happen.</p><p>He doesn't understand how he could have forgotten. Every time he lets himself make new connections, the voices that <em>demon</em> put in his head come back, reminding him of just why he should keep to himself.</p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>He's going to get tired of you someday, you know. He's going to get sick of having to treat you like you're made of porcelain.</strong>
  </strike>
</p><p>"He doesn't," Whitty grumbles to the silent, stuffy air of the living room. "You know he treats me like a person, you've <em>seen</em> it. Stop lying to me."</p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>It's only a matter of time, <em>Whitmore.</em> He's going to abandon you just like everybody else did, and you <em>know it.</em></strong>
  </strike>
</p><p>Whitty scowls at a stain on the coffee table and pulls his hoodie up to cover his mouth. It's less because he's cold and more to mask the uncomfortable sound of his teeth grinding in frustration. "Just shut the fuck up, man," he eventually grits out. "He's way different."</p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>I give it a week, tops. It won't take long for him to get fed up with your ridiculous outbursts.</strong>
  </strike>
</p><p>Whitty opens his mouth to retort, but cuts himself off when a door opens somewhere behind him. He knows it's only Hex, who's used to most of his... <em>eccentricities</em> by now, but he'd still feel ridiculous if Hex found out about this one in particular.</p><p><span class="u"><tt>"Whitmore? Who are you talking to?"</tt></span> His voice is as soft as he can make it, but it still feels far too loud.</p><p>"Nobody, it's nothing," Whitty mutters. "Can you please turn the vocalizer off? Everything is too loud right now."</p><p>There's a tiny beep from the direction of the hallway, then Hex walks quietly into view and sits down across from Whitty on the other end of the couch. He looks as goofy as ever, wearing a bright pink Hello Kitty tank top, hole-filled plaid pyjama pants and lilac socks with rubber grips on the bottoms, but his expression is uncharacteristically solemn. <tt><span class="big">'Well, if you ever want to talk about what's going on, I'm happy to listen.'</span></tt></p><p>Whitty hikes his hoodie even further up his face. "I'm fine, man, just drop it," he says softly. "Just... can you stay out here with me for a while?"</p><p>Hex's screen freezes on a frame between a pout and a smile, giving him a sort of sad but accepting look. <tt><span class="big">'Sure thing, Whitty. I'll only go if you want me to.'</span></tt></p><p>Whitty can't help but smile a little behind his hood. <em>|Strike one, voice. He's sticking around.|</em></p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>Only until <em>your</em> problems start to become <em>his</em> problems. Don't get too ahead of yourself.</strong>
  </strike>
</p><p>He must have flinched in response, because Hex makes a noise of concern and leans forwards slightly, reaching out to touch Whitty's arm, before apparently reconsidering. Whitty sighs and grasps Hex's forearm, but doesn't do anything else. Hex returns the gesture, but similarly makes no moves otherwise.</p><p>Sometimes Whitty wishes he could cry without literally being a danger to everything around him. He instinctively wipes at his eyes with his sleeve to stymie his tears before they can actually flow, deliberately avoiding eye contact. God, how fucking pathetic must he look right now? How the hell does Hex even put up with a disaster like him?</p><p>With a lot of care, apparently, because Whitty doesn't get much of a chance to let any of those questions set in before he's being held. "This isn't what I had in mind," he mumbles, though he doesn't make any attempts to make Hex let go of him.</p><p>Hex's monitor emits a chime, but he doesn't say anything, instead tugging Whitty into a slightly more solid embrace. He's oddly warm for a machine, which is actually somewhat comforting. Whitty eventually curls his arms around Hex, biting his own tongue to stifle the sob that's trying to come out. The voices stay silent too, at least for a little while.</p><p>Whitty doesn't exactly know how long hugs are supposed to last, but he's pretty sure this one has gone on several minutes longer than it should have. He lets his arms drop to his sides, but can't quite bring himself to pull away from Hex, even though kneeling on the couch is getting kind of uncomfortable. Hex, ever in tune with the emotions of those around him, very, very quietly asks <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Would you like to sit somewhere else?"</span></tt></span></p><p>"But then you'll have to let go," Whitty says meekly. It's almost cathartic to admit that he doesn't want to break contact, though he feels guilty at the same time. He's already taking up so much of Hex's time, time that could be spent on all manner of infinitely more productive things.</p><p><span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Not necessarily,"</span></tt></span> Hex replies, almost sounding a little amused. Whitty can't hide the whine he lets out when Hex gets up, but the robot still has his arms wrapped around him. It takes a moment to process that, and by then he's somehow being hoisted into the air and tucked against Hex's torso. Whitty's limbs scrabble uselessly for a moment before his hands finally find purchase in the back of Hex's shirt, his shoes ending up braced on the robot's waist. He's too startled to do anything even as he's carried off into Hex's room and awkwardly deposited on the bed, Hex nudging the door shut with his foot.</p><p>Hex's room looks about how Whitty has always expected it to, really. It's mostly plain with unremarkable furniture, but there's lots of little knick-knacks on almost every available surface, a large blue rabbit plushie on the bed, and a few posters, one of which Whitty recognizes as being of him. He smudges another set of tears onto his sleeve, barely responding when Hex sits down next to him and leans against him.</p><p>He can practically feel a voice starting to say something, but it cuts itself off when Hex's arm hooks around Whitty's side in a way that he'd call protective if he didn't know better. Taking the pincer of that arm in one of his own large hands, he softly asks "Why do you even put up with me? I'm a total mess. Wouldn't it be easier to not have me around?"</p><p><span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"I could ask the same of you,"</span></tt></span> Hex sighs. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"You're one of the only people who's been able to handle my idiosyncrasies since my creator passed."</span></tt></span> Even quieter, he adds <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Even if I <em>didn't</em> like you, I don't want to be alone again. I don't think I could bear that again."</span></tt></span></p><p>All Whitty can think to say is "Oh." He's never really considered that Hex, happy-go-lucky as he seems, might have issues too. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." He nervously puts his other arm around Hex's shoulders, hoping that he won't be rebuffed.</p><p>Hex shakes his head somewhat exasperatedly. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Don't apologize, it isn't like you could have known. I keep that stuff to myself for a reason."</span></tt></span> He turns to look Whitty in the eyes, telling him <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Just please don't ditch me without a reason, that's all I ask of you."</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty nods. He's never been great at saying 'no' to Hex in the first place, let alone when he's literally begging him for something, so he isn't sure he'd be able to leave for good without permanently feeling guilty over it, with or without a reason to do so. "I don't think I'd be able to even if I wanted to," he admits. "You're literally the only person who's ever been nice to me for more than a few minutes at a time and hasn't secretly been lying to or manipulating me the whole time."</p><p>Hex's fans start up a low whirring noise, a sign that he's starting to think about something too deeply for his own good. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Someday I need to introduce you to some of my acquaintances,"</span></tt></span> he notes to himself. Rather abruptly, he asks <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Do you still play guitar?"</span></tt></span></p><p>"Uh, on and off when I get the chance," Whitty replies hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"</p><p>Hex gets up and fetches something from the floor of his closet before explaining himself, and returns to the bed with a beautiful black and white electric guitar. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"The last object my creator ever gave me was this,"</span></tt></span> he says. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"It had a note on it that he'd written when he was still lucid. I don't have enough fingers to play guitar, so he wanted me to give it to someone who could use it."</span></tt></span> Giving Whitty a big, adorable smile, he says <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"You can play guitar, and I've heard that playing an instrument can be therapeutic. I can't play it myself, but I can at least sing along!"</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty awkwardly accepts the guitar, strumming a chord before he can put much thought into it. It's actually in tune, which he attributes to Hex probably taking care of it. "What kinds of songs do you sing?" he asks.</p><p><span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Just about any,"</span></tt></span> Hex says with a small laugh. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"I sound ridiculous when I'm singing alongside an acoustic instrument, though. My voice is too squeaky for it to sound very good."</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty chuckles quietly. Yeah, he can imagine that it would sound pretty goofy and/or off-key. "Fair enough, I guess. What about duets?"</p><p>Hex's smile widens. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"I'm not used to them, but the ones I've been in were really fun! Are you suggesting that we sing together?"</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty grins slightly and rubs the rest of his tears from his face. Hex's enthusiasm has always been rather infectious even when Whitty's feeling down, and today seems to be no exception. "I mean, what else could I be implying?" he asks.</p><p>Hex's screen switches to a loading wheel for a second as he scans his databases, but the smile is back almost instantly as he shrugs. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Nothing that I can think of,"</span></tt></span> he says. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"What were you thinking about singing?"</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty shrugs and plucks a few random notes. "Something light-hearted or silly, hopefully. Today hasn't been great, so something less serious would be nice."</p><p>The loading wheel returns for a moment, then is quickly replaced with a cheeky grin. <span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"How about 'No More Fucks to Give' by Thomas Benjamin Wild Esquire?"</span></tt></span></p><p>Whitty can't help but snicker at that, his grin pulling a little higher. "Sure, why not? Can you pull up the lyrics for me?"</p><p><span class="u"><tt><span class="small">"Gladly,"</span></tt></span> Hex says, and a lyric video begins to play on his monitor.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I accidentally deleted everything that was here and I don't want to re-type it all, so I'll just say I was trying to explain some of the things in this chapter. If there's anything that stands out to you, ask and I'll try to answer.</p><p>Posted somewhat in celebration of the Hex mod getting a huge rework, though technically that happened yesterday(? maybe the day before?)! Go you funky little robot, congrats on getting FIVE songs and a whole-ass story with a happy ending and everything!</p><p>Anyways, as per usual, feel free to comment, critique or ask about my headcanons. Pls talk to me I'm lonely</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Day at the Fair</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hex manages to get Whitty to go to the fair with him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've seen people put trigger warnings for food, so... trigger warning? Whitty eats some stuff about two thirds of the way through the chapter</p><p>Hex speaks <tt><span class="big">'in text'</span></tt> and <tt><span class="u">"verbally"</span></tt> in this chapter again, sorry if it's a bit confusing</p><p>Also, I've only ever been to the Evergreen State Fair, so everything here is based off of that! My apologies if I missed something you consider an essential fair experience, I haven't gotten to go to any other fairs unfortunately :(</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hex, this is a bad idea.”</p><p>Hex glanced over his shoulder to look at his friend. Whitty looked about as comfortable as he usually did when the idea of going outside was mentioned, which was to say not at all. He was wringing the hem of his sweater in his hands and awkwardly scuffing his shoes against the carpet. <span class="u"><tt>“I know it's uncomfortable,”</tt></span> Hex said, <span class="u"><tt>“but I think we'll be fine. Why would they think to look for you at a fairgrounds?”</tt></span>
</p><p>Whitty had to admit that Hex had a point. He generally avoided crowds and didn't like loud noises, so Updike probably wouldn't even consider looking for him at a fair. But that was also the problem; he wasn't going to have much fun there, if any. “I guess,” he huffed, “but you know I don't like being around people I don't know.”</p><p>Hex rustled around in his duffle bag for a moment, standing up with a triumphant <span class="u"><tt>“Ah-ha!”</tt></span> and a set of headphones in his pincers. <span class="u"><tt>“That's precisely why I got <i>these,</i>”</tt></span> he said proudly. <span class="u"><tt>“They're noise-cancelling, so they'll block out most of the noise even if you aren't using them to play music!”</tt></span> He turned around to show Whitty, a big grin on his screen.</p><p>Holy shit, they were even black, orange and navy blue. “Where'd you even find those?” Whitty asked. “It can't be easy to find things in those exact colors. Did you get 'em custom or something?”</p><p>Hex's smile somehow managed to stretch even wider. <span class="u"><tt>“I painted them myself!”</tt></span> he said happily. <span class="u"><tt>“They were just black and orange when I got them. It was hard, but I think it looks okay!”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty was fairly certain he was about to cry. He always managed to forget how ridiculously sweet Hex could be just as the robot was about to do something sweet enough to almost give him cavities. “They look great,” he said weakly. “Can you show me how they work?”</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“Of course!”</tt></span> Hex said, eager to help as always. <span class="u"><tt>“Do you know how to use a cellphone or an iPod?”</tt></span></p><p>“I can use an iPod,” Whitty replied. “Modern cellphones are too complicated, though. They do too many things that I don't understand.” He felt stupid admitting that, but in this case lying would make things even more confusing than it normally would, and he didn't like lying to Hex anyways.</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“iPod it is, then,”</tt></span> Hex hummed as he reached into his pocket and tugged out an old-looking iPod, a small beep coming from his monitor while he presumably catalogued the information for later. <span class="u"><tt>“Pretty much all you have to do is plug them in, actually. From there you just unlock it and play whatever you want, and it'll block out most noise that isn't, like, a gunshot or an airplane taking off or something.”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty nodded and plugged the headphones into the iPod. “What's the password?” he asked. Hex rattled off the needlessly long string of numbers and Whitty somehow managed to input them correctly, though the fact that his hands were nearly three times as big as the device didn't make it easy. Opening up the music app, he awkwardly said “Man, you got a lot of stuff on here. How much have you spent on this thing?”</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“More than I'd like to admit,”</tt></span> Hex said with an equally awkward chuckle. <span class="u"><tt>“On the upside, you have more choices! It shouldn't be too hard to find something you like if you sort by genre.”</tt></span> Suddenly excited again, he asked <span class="u"><tt>“Hey, after this, can you show me some of the music that <em>you</em> like?”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty smiled slightly. “Sure. They're written down in a notebook I have somewhere, I think. We could go through some of it after we get back, if you like,” he offered.</p><p>Hex gave a huge grin that probably could've softened even Updike's cold, rotten little heart, grasped Whitty's wrist and all but yanked him out the door.<br/>
/////////////////////<br/>
The subway was about as enjoyable as Whitty had remembered it being, by which he meant not in the slightest bit and he'd rather have walked there even though it would have taken an extra hour to get to the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, Whitty didn't know how to drive, Hex was a robot and therefore couldn't get a driver's license, and neither of them owned a car or knew someone who would be willing to drive them there, so the subway had been their only option if they wanted to get there before it closed for the day.</p><p>“That was awful,” Whitty said bitterly, brushing some unidentifiable crumbs off his sleeve. “Can we just walk back, or are we gonna need to go on the sub again?”</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“We can walk back if you'd prefer that, and we can go home whenever you like,”</tt></span> Hex responded. Unlike Whitty, he was used to the subway and had been too engrossed in his conversation with a weird redhead in a green shirt to notice or care about any of the bizarre shit going on, but he also knew that people who didn't use the subway much noticed such things much quicker and were more likely to be put off by them than laugh at them. <span class="u"><tt>“What'd you see?”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty hunched his shoulders, trying not to show how distressed he was by the whole ordeal, but eventually yelped "<strong><em>There was a guy dressed like a trout talking to a furry!</em></strong>" Apparently struggling to find his words, he sputtered out “A-And there was a sax player and a <em>whole-ass mariachi band!</em>" Waving his hands slightly, he added “The guy next to me was watching porn! Not doing anything, just watching it! Who watches porn for the plot?!”</p><p>Hex let out a giggle that quickly turned into a laughing fit, and had to stop walking for a moment to keep himself steady. <span class="u"><tt>“How in the world did I miss all that?!”</tt></span> he asked, scrubbing at his screen as if to wipe away the tears displayed under the glass. <span class="u"><tt>“That's almost as insane as the time I saw a lady dressed in tights and a bat costume with an entire rotisserie chicken in her lap!”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty tried to hold it back, but it didn't take long for him to burst into laughter too. “If you've seen <em>that,”</em> he snickered, “you <em>have</em> to tell me some of your other subway stories sometime.”</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“Only if you show me some songs you like first,”</tt></span> Hex said, grinning a little. <span class="u"><tt>“You alright with that?”</tt></span></p><p>“Deal,” Whitty said, only for his good mood to dissipate almost immediately when he noticed that they were at the fair. “You still got those headphones, right?” he asked nervously.</p><p>Hex nodded and plucked them from the canvas bag he had draped over his shoulder, again repeating the password so Whitty could unlock the iPod. Whitty quickly found something he liked (though he had to question how someone as sweet as Hex could enjoy a song like Lynchmob) and let Hex gently pull him over to the ticket booths. Fortunately the headphones served their intended purpose and he didn't have to listen to the probably annoying voice of the greasy-looking teen running the booth.</p><p>Of course, he didn't need to hear anything to notice that Hex seemed kind of flustered by the time they were actually in the fairgrounds. Lifting one side of the headphones just enough to hear what was next to him, he asked “You okay? He say somethin' weird?”</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“It's nothing,”</tt></span> Hex said, a little too quickly to be telling the truth. <span class="u"><tt>“Anyways, there's lots to do here! There's rides, shooting galleries, <em>lots</em> of food stalls... I think this fair even has a dunk tank, actually.”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty narrowed his eyes at Hex, who didn't seem to notice it, now too caught up in looking around for something to see Whitty's suspicion. Whitty knew for a fact that it took far more than 'nothing' to make Hex blush, and even then it was usually reserved for squeeing over pictures of baby animals. Still, if Hex didn't want to talk about it, then Whitty saw no reason to press the issue; Hex did the same, so he felt like he should return the favor. He settled his headphones back into place and trailed after Hex when the robot began to wander off towards one of the shooting galleries he'd mentioned.</p><p>Several minutes, quite a few tickets and more plushies than was really necessary later, Whitty had come to learn that Hex shouldn't be allowed near guns. Not because he was terrible at using the water guns provided by the gallery, but because he was a dead shot even without fingers. Whitty had begun fretting with the straps of the canvas bag he'd been handed, a little nervous about this new side of his friend he'd just discovered.</p><p>Just as suddenly as he'd decided to play, Hex set the water gun down for good and turned to face Whitty, smiling brightly. He quickly flashed <tt><span class="big">'Do you want to play a couple rounds?'</span></tt> across his screen, tilting his head in the direction of the ticket taker for a second. Whitty paused for a moment, then stepped forwards and handed the bag back to Hex as he reached into his pocket to fish out a couple tickets.</p><p>It turned out that Whitty was pretty damn bad. It took a few minutes for him to be able to hold the water gun properly, and even then he had to kneel down to get a good angle. Still, he was eventually able to win a few rounds despite his muttered complaints, and he got to pick out two prizes. One was a small but high-quality rabbit plushie, which he decided he would give to Hex since it matched with the one on his bed.</p><p>He didn't give Hex a chance to see what the other prize he chose was, but Hex didn't make note of it. Whitty thought he would probably die of embarrassment if Hex ever saw it, so it was unceremoniously shoved to the very bottom of the bag while Hex was still preoccupied cooing over the rabbit toy he'd been gifted. He got his prize into the bag just in time, too, because basically as soon as he was done he got plucked up off the ground in one of those bone-crushing hugs Hex was so fond of giving.</p><p>The ticket taker looked like she was about to laugh, but a glare from Whitty was enough to (mostly) wipe the grin off her face. Mouthing 'Tell anyone and you're dead' at her was what got rid of it entirely.</p><p>After letting go of Whitty, Hex excitedly displayed <tt><span class="big">'You're such a quick learner! How'd you get so good at it that fast?'</span></tt> Whitty just shrugged and glanced away, bashfully rubbing at the back of his neck. However, Hex tapped his arm to get his attention and asked <tt><span class="big">'Are there any rides you're interested in?'</span></tt></p><p>Whitty lifted his headphones again and awkwardly said "I dunno, I'm kind of scared of them. I get that they're safe, but they don't look like it." A little quieter, he added "Plus I'd rather not puke. Isn't that a thing that happens on rollercoasters sometimes? People get motion sick?"</p><p><span class="u"><tt>"Some people do,"</tt></span> Hex replied. <span class="u"><tt>"That's kind of why I didn't take you to the food stalls first, just to be safe. Besides, they have a ferris wheel too! I was sorta hoping to do that last, though."</tt></span></p><p>"Why you saving that for last?" Whitty asked, raising a brow. "I mean, it's just a ferris wheel. Aren't those kind of boring?"</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“If you're on them at the wrong time, yes,”</tt></span> Hex replied. <span class="u"><tt>“That's why I want to do that last. The view can be amazing during sunset.”</tt></span> Tapping a pincer to his screen, he mused <span class="u"><tt>“Actually, unrelated to the ferris wheel, you might not even fit on any of the rides. You'd have to hunch pretty far over at the very least.”</tt></span></p><p>"Well, I'm not complaining," Whitty chuffed. "Doesn't seem like something I'd like very much. Don't let me stop you, though." He scuffed the toe of his shoe across the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust.</p><p>Hex shook his head, smiling slightly. <span class="u"><tt>“If you're uncomfortable with it, I don't want to do it and have to leave you alone in a crowd. I was planning on coming here tomorrow with Carol and Annie as well, so I can go on the rides <i>then</i> instead! Don't worry about it.”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty was about to say something, but Hex cut him off before he could even open his mouth. <span class="u"><tt>“Whitty, I know you're feeling guilty about it, and I want you to know that your comfort takes priority over my entertainment,”</tt></span> Hex said sternly. <span class="u"><tt>“You've already been very brave today by coming here at all, and I don't want to push you past your limits. I don't blame you for being nervous, I just want you to have a decent time.”</tt></span></p><p>Whitty froze for a moment, then nodded, giving Hex a tiny, thankful smile. Hex grinned back and reached up to pat Whitty on the shoulder, asking <span class="u"><tt>“Would you like to get something to eat?”</tt></span> Whitty nodded and put his headphones back on, allowing Hex to gently grasp his wrist and lead him off somewhere else.</p><p>The food pavilion was marginally less busy than the rest of the fair, though the vendors also had to shout to be heard over the idle chatter of the crowd. Whitty followed Hex a little closer than before, glancing around at the various menus, all of which had text too small for him to read from that far away. Fortunately, Hex's visual sensors seemed to have a zoom function, because he was able to relay what was on the menus to Whitty from the table they'd chosen to sit at.</p><p>Whitty eventually settled on four things, none of which he'd tried before; grilled sweet corn, a turkey leg, pork and bean nachos, and a funnel cake, the last of which was covered in strawberry sauce and powdered sugar. Hex went around to order them for him, coming back to wait with him and hand him several napkins. The explanation he was given was <tt><span class="big">'All of these can be ridiculously messy. Yes, even the corn if it's cooked well and it doesn't actually dry out.'</span></tt></p><p>The nice thing about fair food was that it didn't seem to take very long to finish cooking. Everything ordered was either prepared beforehand or only took around five minutes to put together, which Whitty was pretty happy about; he hadn't eaten enough that day and his stomach hurt a little by now. Hex just watched amusedly as Whitty started eating, the much taller man's eyes practically bugging out of their sockets as soon as he took a bite.</p><p>Hex actually began giggling when Whitty hissed "<i>Who the hell gave them the right to make it taste that good?!</i> It's just a bird!" It didn't take long before all that was left of the turkey leg was bone, which Whitty seemed to seriously be considering eating as well until Hex pushed the corn towards him. That disappeared at a similar rate, and earned a loud "<em><strong>What the hell?!</strong></em>"</p><p>Whitty had learned to be somewhat weary of street food vendors after so long without a home, but after those, he was genuinely excited about the nachos. There was obviously the base ingredients- tortilla chips, pulled pork and black beans- but it was also piled with cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Hex smiled, trying to hide it behind his pincers, as those were wolfed down too. Whitty didn't even have anything to say about it for a while, apparently stunned into silence, before he eventually quietly said <span class="small"><i>"Holy fuck those are so good."</i></span></p><p>Still grinning, Hex tilted his head towards the funnel cake. Whitty gave it an odd look before tugging the paper plate it was on over to himself; he wasn't a huge fan of sweet foods, and he'd mostly asked for one out of curiosity. It seemed to be everyone else's favorite fair food, so he felt obligated to try it at least once. He cleaned his hands off on a couple napkins, then plucked a strand of it from the bulk of the cake and awkwardly put it in his mouth.</p><p>Almost immediately, he looked like he was about to cry, and all he could do for a second was let out a tiny whine. Hex was concerned, but any fears he may have had were assuaged when Whitty asked <span class="small">"Why the fuck have I never tried this before?"</span></p><p><tt><span class="big">'You've never been to a fair until today,'</span></tt> Hex pointed out. <tt><span class="big">'Funnel cakes are generally pretty uncommon outside of fairs, so I'm not surprised you haven't had one before.'</span></tt> Whitty nodded, though he was clearly preoccupied by stuffing his face with funnel cake and might not have even understood.</p><p>Carefully resisting the urge to wipe the excess strawberry sauce onto the sleeve of his sweater, Whitty pressed a napkin over his mouth instead, using the remaining two to clean his hands again. He felt a little drowsy after that, but he let Hex take his hand and bring him somewhere else.</p><p>While they'd been under the pavilion, the sky had shifted to pink and orange, soft white clouds tinted yellow by the setting sun. Hex had finally brought him over to the ferris wheel, the line for which was short and mostly comprised of couples and families. They ended up being fifth in line, so it didn't take very long for them to be able to board. Whitty reluctantly put his headphones around the back of his neck, though he found that it was surprisingly quiet.</p><p>The movement of the wheel was strange and somewhat jerky at first, and Whitty instinctively clung to Hex when the ferris wheel moved the first time. It was slow enough that it was easy to get used to, thankfully, and he let go of Hex soon after to look out the windows.</p><p>Then their carriage reached the top of the wheel, and Whitty found himself at a complete loss for words for a long moment. The view was, in total honesty, probably the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen; tall trees, black against the glowing sky, framed the setting sun like they might in a painting, the sky shifting from orange to pink to purple with fluffy yellow clouds drifting by in the wind. He couldn't help but make a small noise of disappointment when the carriage dipped again.</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“I told you it was pretty,”</tt></span> Hex said cheerfully. <span class="u"><tt>“Don't worry, it'll go around a few more times before it stops.”</tt></span> Whitty settled back into the seat with a nod, pausing for a second to glance down at Hex; the sunlight shone off his metal shell at odd angles, small glints of yellow-orange light brighter than others, the neon blue glow of his face cutting even through that. He looked away just in time to be able to avoid having to explain his staring, as Hex looked up at him just as he looked back ahead.</p><p>Though Hex was right about the ferris wheel turning a couple more times (three, to be exact), Whitty still felt like it was over too soon. He was a tiny bit disoriented when he stepped out, but Hex was perfectly fine with letting Whitty grip onto his shoulder to keep himself fully steady. The fair was finally quiet enough that Whitty didn't feel the need to keep the headphones on, so he paused the iPod before they left.</p><p>"Y'know, I think I'm actually too tired to just walk back," Whitty said exasperatedly. "As much as I hate it, I think we're gonna <i>have</i> to take the subway."</p><p>Hex shrugged, letting out a small laugh. <span class="u"><tt>“Well, on the upside, we might get more subway stories. Or maybe it'll be relatively tame for once. I mean, I doubt it, but there's always the possibility!”</tt></span></p><p>"Ah, don't try to get my hopes up," Whitty snickered, flicking one of Hex's antennae. Hex yelped in surprise, then bapped his hand into Whitty's shoulder in some weak form of retaliation.</p><p>The walk back to the subway didn't take as long, mostly because they wanted to get there before nightfall. They could both defend themselves just fine, but the city wasn't exactly the most fun place at night and they'd rather avoid that if they could.</p><p>Fortunately for Whitty's sanity, he didn't see anything particularly weird that time; maybe all the crazies were asleep or out clubbing or something. Hex sat between Whitty and a pair of two other robots, both of whom were very small and shaped like bipedal rabbits. They were both pretty talkative, but their voices weren't grating enough for Whitty to get annoyed with them. The one in the dress gave a cheery goodbye when they left, while the one in the biker outfit just waved.</p><p>"You see anything strange that time?" Whitty asked Hex once they were about halfway home. "I didn't see anything."</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“There was a guy eating a whole grilled catfish,”</tt></span> Hex said. <span class="u"><tt>“I'm pretty sure it was cold, 'cause he took it out of a cooler.”</tt></span> He again seemed completely unphased.</p><p>Whitty made a face of disgust. "<i>Cold</i> fish? Really?" Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he mournfully asked "Some people just want to watch the world burn, don't they?"</p><p><span class="u"><tt>“Sure, let's go with that,”</tt></span> Hex giggled, bouncing up the steps to his home. He unlocked the door and let Whitty in, following closely and locking the door again behind them. He set the bags of prizes down next to a bookshelf, which Whitty immediately began rooting through to find the one he'd gotten for himself. As soon as he found it, he ran off to put it in the guest room that had essentially become his not even twenty-four hours after he and Hex had first met.</p><p>He didn't actually know what to do with the plushie, so he nestled it between some of the pillows on the bed. Hex wasn't always the most observant, so he wasn't particularly likely to notice the purples and green against the brightly patterned pillow cases. Hopefully Whitty wouldn't have to explain why he had it... well, <i>ever.</i></p><p>Hex eventually shouted <span class="u"><tt>“Dinner's ready!”</tt></span> Whitty gave the plushie a small pat on the head before leaving the room and heading back downstairs, wondering if Hex had made banana bread again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WOO LONG CHAPTERRR LET'S GOOO<br/><strike>specifically it's 3934 words!</strike></p><p>These keep getting less and less platonic every time I write a new chapter lmao</p><p>Correctly guess what the teen at the ticket booth said (or at least the gist of it) and I'll tell you why Hex was so embarrassed<br/><span class="u">[Update]: Answer given in comments if you want to read it!</span></p><p>The plushie Whitty chooses for himself is an Oddheader plushie! He picked it bc it reminds him of Hex</p><p>Hex's little pep talk before they go to the food pavilion is vaguely based on things my mom says to me sometimes when I do something outside my comfort zone</p><p>As per usual, I like comments and I'm happy to answer questions about headcanons! Pls talk to me I have nothing to do all week</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Odd Habits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Whitty's sleeping habits startle Hex. Again.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No warnings that I can think of this time, just cute and soft all around!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hex had been home for almost three hours before he realized he didn't know where Whitty was.</p>
<p>Ordinarily, he wouldn't be too concerned about that. Whitty was fully capable of taking care of himself, and was usually out on his own anyways. No, Hex was stressed because it was Wednesday, which he and Whitty had decided was going to be their meet-up day for the fortnight. Whitty being nowhere to be found meant he was either in trouble, or had tucked himself away somewhere in the house.</p>
<p>Hex was going to hope that the latter was the case, because he was going to be terrified if Whitty turned out to not be in the house. Trying not to let the anxiety steadily setting into his systems get the better of him, he set off to try and find his friend.</p>
<p>Fortunately for his nerves (and perhaps unfortunately for Whitty), after several minutes of quickly building panic, Hex stumbled across Whitty... sleeping upright in the coat closet right next to the front door.</p>
<p>Maybe 'upright' was a bit too generous to describe Whitty's stance. He was <i>standing,</i> at least, though it was at an oddly diagonal angle; he was pressed against the back wall of the closet, his feet in the right corner and his face squished up onto the left wall. His eyes were open, blinking occasionally, but the blank stare was all Hex had to see to know that he wasn't awake- Whitty <i>never</i> looked that distant when he was conscious, even when he was genuinely spacing out.</p>
<p>Hex sighed and shook his head, though a fond smile was displayed on his screen. <span class="u"><tt>“For someone who doesn't know what a cat is, you certainly act like one sometimes,”</tt></span> he chuckled, leaning against the doorframe.</p>
<p>As soon as Hex spoke, Whitty's eyes abruptly refocused and he lashed out, albeit with little result; as strong as he was, it wasn't quite enough to do much more than scuff Hex's chassis. Whitty narrowed his eyes slightly, blinked a couple times, and quietly asked "Hex?"</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Hey,”</tt></span> Hex greeted gently, patting the hand Whitty had settled on his shoulder. <span class="u"><tt>“Sorry I didn't find you sooner, I didn't realize you were here.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty yawned, rubbed at his face with his sleeve, and rather abruptly pitched forwards. Hex squeaked and reached out to catch him, all of the anxiety from before returning twice as quick as Whitty toppled forwards.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Tired, are you?”</tt></span> Hex remarked a little exasperatedly. Whitty just nodded and tucked his face into the crook of Hex's neck. Hex sort of wondered what Whitty had been doing to get so exhausted, but doubted he'd get an answer if he asked. <span class="u"><tt>“I'm assuming you want to go to bed,”</tt></span> he stated. Whitty nodded again.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Kinda always wanted to do this with someone,”</tt></span> Hex giggled, giving Whitty only a split second to be concerned about what the hell that could mean before his legs were suddenly swept out from under him. Whitty jolted and instinctively curled himself around Hex, but slowly relaxed when he realized that he was just being carried. <i>Again.</i> For some reason. Maybe he shouldn't be so calm about it, but Hex was warm right now, and Whitty knew that Hex was trustworthy. He slumped against Hex with another loud yawn, hooking his arms around the robot's shoulders.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Y'know, I always think you're gonna be heavier than you are,”</tt></span> Hex said, adjusting his grip slightly. Whitty grumbled and tried to shift away from the thrum of Hex's speakers, but Hex didn't say anything else and Whitty quickly drew himself close again. Hex smiled and carefully scaled the stairs; while Whitty wasn't as heavy as he looked, the extra weight still meant Hex could quite easily overbalance and fall if he wasn't cautious. Whitty seemed mostly unbothered by the heavy steps, though he smacked Hex's shoulder again in complaint when they got to the top of the staircase with a particularly loud <i>《thunk》.</i></p>
<p>Hex rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face as he shifted his hold just enough that he could open Whitty's bedroom door. He moved a little more slowly as he approached the bed, trying not to be too loud, and attempted to set Whitty down on the bed.</p>
<p><i>'Attempted'</i> being the key word there. Whitty did not let go, clinging vehemently even as Hex let out a slightly annoyed huff.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Alright, you big lump, what is it?”</tt></span> Hex asked, a somewhat teasing tone to his voice. When Whitty didn't answer, Hex ventured <span class="u"><tt>“Let me guess, you don't want to be alone?”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty nodded, clutching a little tighter onto the back of Hex's shirt. <span class="u"><tt>“Okay,”</tt></span> Hex hummed, gently moving the covers out of the way. <span class="u"><tt>“I'll spend the night with you.”</tt></span> He settled down on the bed and tugged the blankets over them, letting out a small chuckle as Whitty nestled his head up to Hex's chest.</p>
<p>After a moment, Hex shimmied a little further under the sheets, Whitty redoubling his grip on the robot as soon as he was in closer reach. He held onto Hex as if the machine were a stuffed animal, arms folded around Hex's back and his face tucked under Hex's monitor. He let out a contented rumbling sound as Hex tentatively returned the embrace, nuzzling a little closer to Hex's sternum.</p>
<p>Hex smiled softly, squeezing Whitty a little tighter for a brief second. Sorting through his files for a gentle guitar melody to hum along to, he murmured <span class="u"><tt>“Don't worry, I won't leave unless you want me to.”</tt></span></p>
<p>The last of the tension in Whitty's frame eased from him at Hex's words, and with a tiny grin, Hex began to play his music.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's a bit short this time, unfortunately (1001 words). Hopefully the sheer fluffiness can make up for that?</p>
<p>Small note, the song I imagine Hex is playing at the end is an instrumental version of Looking For a Planet by Green Chili Jam Band. Coconut Moon is a comfort album for me, as I've been listening to it for most my life. Looking For a Planet and Coconut Moon are the two lullaby-type songs of the album, but the rest are much bouncier (my dad's favorite is Lard)<br/><strike>sorry for the sudden promo of such an obscure album, I just really love it and I think more people should listen to it :)</strike></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Emergency Repairs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hex is the one who's gotten himself in trouble this time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings for: Injury of a robot, serene dissonance/possible dissociation, downplaying of injuries, repairs/surgery(?), mentions of a human getting injured</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <strike>(I swear this isn't as bad as it sounds, okay,, this one isn't even written very well)</strike></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Whitty supposed it was only a matter of time before Hex gave him a panic attack instead of the other way around. Somehow, he'd assumed it would be more like the relatively harmless things he occasionally accidentally scared Hex with, not... <i>this.</i></p>
<p>Whitty had been out on a walk at the park when he'd decided that he wanted to visit Hex. He knew it was usually a safe bet to check the basketball court first if he was nearby, since that's where Hex tended to hang out when he wasn't at home or at another friend's house. So, he altered his course and went to check.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, Hex wasn't actually <i>on</i> the court for once. He was instead sitting on a bench a few meters away, clearly not all mentally there and with one leg bouncing restlessly. His screen, dim as it always was in mid-afternoon, was difficult to make out through the bright light of the sun, but even from such a distance it didn't seem to display its usual expression. Whitty... didn't know what all that meant, but he doubted it was anything good. "Hey, Hex?" he called warily. "You alright?"</p>
<p>Hex tilted his monitor slightly towards Whitty, but otherwise didn't react. Whitty frowned and kept walking towards Hex; something was very obviously wrong, and he needed to check on him. Fortunately, his height made it easy to close the distance between them and it was only a few seconds before he sat down next to Hex, asking "Hex, did something happen?"</p>
<p>Well, that got a response, at least. Hex slowly looked up, revealing an absent-looking smile <i>and the fact that half of his face was a distorted mess.</i> He brightened up a little when he realized who was with him, cheerfully greeting him with an <span class="u"><tt>“Oh, hello, Whitty!”</tt></span> Even his voice was <i>wrong,</i> crushed and compressed into nigh-incomprehensibility.</p>
<p>Whitty gave a strained grin. "Hi, Hex. Did something happen earlier? You're acting a little weird right now."</p>
<p>Hex frowned slightly. <span class="u"><tt>“Yes, unfortunately. Someone knocked me over. Haven't gotten a check-up in a while, so it affected me more than it should have. I have a few loose wires at the moment.”</tt></span> He smiled again, adding <span class="u"><tt>“It really isn't that bad. Only reason I'm still just sitting around here is that my leg is numb. I'm trying to get used to walking with it anyways, just taking a break for a bit.”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Uh-huh," Whitty said flatly. "What else got knocked loose?" After a moment's consideration, he also asked "And what happened to whoever pushed you?"</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Nothing super important,”</tt></span> Hex said. <span class="u"><tt>“I mean, my left arm doesn't work, but that's the worst of it, and everything is easy enough to reconnect. The wires are just a bit too far back for me to reach without a mirror to look.”</tt></span> A curious expression on the functional half of his screen, he asked <span class="u"><tt>“How'd you know he shoved me, anyways?”</tt></span> Before Whitty could answer, Hex shook his head and said <span class="u"><tt>“Ah, whatever. I think he had to go to the hospital, I'm pretty sure I broke his nose when he started trying to kick me. Probably would've broken his foot doing that anyways, though.”</tt></span></p>
<p>So Hex <i>was</i> willing to defend himself. Well, that was good to know. "When can you get someone to put everything back together?" Whitty asked.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Monday,”</tt></span> Hex replied, turning his gaze back to the grass. <span class="u"><tt>“That's why I'm trying to figure out how to walk with a numb leg. I'd rather have to wait at home than out here, y'know?”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Hex, it's <i>Saturday,</i>" Whitty said exasperatedly. "Do you not have any friends that are mechanics or something? You shouldn't have to wait for <i>two days</i> to be able to use both your arms again."</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“I have a friend who makes other robots, but he's always very busy,”</tt></span> Hex hummed. <span class="u"><tt>“He owns a couple companies and has to take care of his creations, so he doesn't have much free time.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty barely managed not to curse. "That isn't fair," he muttered. Glancing at Hex, he asked "How easy would it be to reconnect your wires? D'you think I'd be able to do it myself, or would it be too difficult for me?"</p>
<p>Hex looked up and stared at Whitty for a moment, then grinned. <span class="u"><tt>“It's very easy, actually!”</tt></span> he said excitedly. <span class="u"><tt>“You just have to match the colored wires to their corresponding ports, and then I can reboot and everything should be back to normal.”</tt></span> His smile softening slightly, he asked <span class="u"><tt>“You think you're up for that?”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I can do that," he said quickly. "Uh... where would I start, then?"</p>
<p>Hex tilted his head up towards the sky. <span class="u"><tt>“Well, the sun is beginning to set, so I suppose finding a way to get enough light to see the issues would be the first thing to do.”</tt></span> He started tapping his heel against the ground again as he thought, eventually saying <span class="u"><tt>“I think there's enough light that I could lie down and an adequate amount for visibility would reach the top of my chest cavity.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty nodded, but had a grimace on his face. This was beginning to sound like surgery, and he didn't like that. He didn't want to know what would happen if he knocked something else loose, either; if a single wire was enough to take an entire limb out of commission, he could only imagine what might happen if he dislodged or broke something more important or complex. Still, he wanted to help and he wasn't going to go back on his word. "Works for me," he said, trying to keep the shakiness out of his voice.</p>
<p>Hex didn't seem to notice the stress in Whitty's tone. Apparently one of the wires was more important than he'd realized; Hex was usually very emotionally perceptive, so something must have been extremely out of order. <span class="u"><tt>“Alright, cool!”</tt></span> he said cheerfully. A bit more cautiously, he added <span class="u"><tt>“I'm gonna have to take my shirt off. Is that too weird?”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Your arm is essentially broken, and you're worried about taking your shirt off?" Whitty responded exasperatedly. "I get that you're kinda spacey right now, but <i>seriously?</i>"</p>
<p>Hex at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed by that. <span class="u"><tt>“Well, it sounds silly when you phrase it <i>that</i> way,”</tt></span> he conceded. <span class="u"><tt>“I just don't want to make you uncomfortable.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty groaned and put his face in his palms. "Hex, I seriously don't give a shit that you have to take your shirt off," he bit out. "It doesn't fucking matter, I just want to help you. <i>Take the stupid shirt off already so I can patch you up.</i>"</p>
<p>Hex nodded, though he had an odd expression on his screen. His tank top was quickly removed and stuffed into a pocket for the time being, and he clumsily patted around his side for a moment until he found a small hold that he used to pry open the front panel of his torso. A bright yellow wire promptly fell out, making Hex frown and Whitty jump slightly. <span class="u"><tt>“Can you please get up?”</tt></span> Hex asked. <span class="u"><tt>“I think lying down on the bench would be better than on the ground.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty pinched the area between his eyes, barely managing to hold in an frustrated sigh as he got up. "I know, Hex," he said flatly. He knelt down next to the bench as Hex shifted onto his back, his nonfunctional arm hanging limply by his side. "I just have to connect the wires to the ports they match, right?" Whitty asked.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“Yes,”</tt></span> Hex replied. <span class="u"><tt>“Yellow to yellow, red to red, et cetera.”</tt></span> He didn't react as Whitty cautiously reached into the robot's chest cavity, which was somehow just as unsettling as it would've been if he'd screamed or something.</p>
<p>Several wires had been misplaced, one of them somehow tied up in a knot. Untangling it would be difficult, seeing as it was about the width of a landline telephone cable and Whitty's hands were roughly the size of dinner plates, but he set about it as best as he could. "Is this gonna hurt you?" he asked nervously.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“I don't feel pain, only a pain analogue,”</tt></span> Hex explained. <span class="u"><tt>“Plugging the wires back in won't activate it. There's a low level of it right now, though. It's usually in response to something like this, which is essentially an injury.”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Right," Whitty muttered. He made a small noise of triumph as he finally got the wire disentangled, then carefully reconnected it. Hex shuddered and his monitor emitted a shrill beep, but he otherwise didn't respond. "I know you said this doesn't hurt," Whitty said, "but it can't be comfortable either. How bad is it?"</p>
<p>Hex paused for a moment, then shrugged with his still mobile arm. <span class="u"><tt>“It's bearable,”</tt></span> he said. <span class="u"><tt>“More annoying than anything else, honestly.”</tt></span> Tilting his head towards Whitty to give him an unfocused but genuine smile, he added <span class="u"><tt>“You're definitely helping. There's less static now.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty nodded and offered a small, slightly shaky grin as he moved on to the next cord. "That's good," he said quietly. "Um, do you mind if I ask what exactly some of these do?"</p>
<p>Hex twitched as the next two cables were set back into place, his voice making an odd, hiccuping stutter as he said <span class="u"><tt>“Purple is touch sensors, and I believe yellow helps control which emotions are able to be activated. I assume that's probably why I'm so calm right now. If it was still functional, I'd likely be panicking at the moment.”</tt></span> After an awkward silence, he noted <span class="u"><tt>“It won't reactivate until I reboot, by the way. You don't have to worry about me suddenly getting nervous halfway through and making things difficult.”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Okay, good to know," Whitty mumbled. Secretly, he was a little relieved; he wasn't sure if he'd have been able to handle a panicking Hex. "What does the white wire do?" he asked, plugging in a blue one.</p>
<p><span class="u"><tt>“White should make my screen work properly again,”</tt></span> Hex said. <span class="u"><tt>“Blue there is going to fix my vocalizer when I reboot. It's gonna be nice to not <i>sound</i> like a robot when this is all over, y'know? I might be a robot, but I don't like having to sound like one. It makes people look at me even weirder than normal.”</tt></span></p>
<p>"Right," Whitty said absently. "This is the last one. Don't know what it does either, so... sorry if this turns out bad." The last cable was black and a little shorter than the rest, running from the top right to the top left, the latter side lying uselessly against the back of Hex's chassis.</p>
<p>Plugging it in caused several sparks to fly, and Hex jolted with a high-pitched whine, his screen filling with static. He almost seemed to have passed out for a moment, but sat up with a loud coughing noise and clicked the door to his chest cavity shut. <span class="u"><tt>“Well, I <i>think</i> everything's back in order,”</tt></span> he said somewhat hesitantly. <span class="u"><tt>“It doesn't feel bad anymore, at least.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty flashed a tentative smile. "You gotta reboot to find out if it worked out, yeah? How about you do that so we can know if I have to do something else too?"</p>
<p>Hex jumped and stopped trying to get his shirt out of his pocket. <span class="u"><tt>“Right, right, one moment,”</tt></span> he said quickly. <span class="u"><tt>“You'll catch me if I fall over, right?”</tt></span> Whitty nodded and gave a thumbs-up. <span class="u"><tt>“I might take a while to wake up again,”</tt></span> Hex warned, <span class="u"><tt>“so please don't freak out if I don't do anything for a bit. It might ba a minute or so until everything can process.”</tt></span> And with that, his screen shut off and he abruptly slumped forwards, Whitty just barely managing to catch him before he fell off the bench entirely.</p>
<p>Whitty never liked it when Hex was forced to shut down. He knew Hex had told him not to worry, but... well, Hex was very small and Whitty was very protective. It was kind of in his nature to worry about his friends, especially since they were all so much shorter than him. Whitty yanked both of them up into a sitting position on the bench and pulled Hex close to him, resting his head on top of Hex's monitor. Hopefully Hex wouldn't think it was too weird.</p>
<p>A little while later, Hex made a strange <i>《ping!》</i> sort of noise, followed by the semi-familiar jingle of his boot-up sequence. He didn't do anything for a second, then wrapped his arms around Whitty's back. <span class="u"><tt>“I'm awake,”</tt></span> he said gently, his voice fortunately back to its usual, much softer tones. <span class="u"><tt>“I'm okay, everything is back in working order now.”</tt></span></p>
<p>Whitty held on a tiny bit tighter. He'd likely never admit it out loud, but he'd been scared Hex wouldn't wake up. It was unreasonable, but it happened every time Hex had to reboot. "Try not to have to do that again," he murmured.</p>
<p>Hex tugged Whitty a little closer, reaching up to pat his back in what he hoped was a reassuring way. <span class="u"><tt>“I'll try my best,”</tt></span> he said.</p>
<p>They both knew he couldn't promise it, but that was close enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't know how to feel about this chapter ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ</p>
<p>Idk what I wanted to do with it honestly. I feel like it could've been more serious, but I just wasn't capable of making it as serious as I wanted it to be, so it turned out like this. I don't think even rewriting it from scratch could fix it, so alas, we're all stuck with this (' ú_ù)</p>
<p>Anyways, now I can upload the next chapter of Hard Feelings, so at least there's that. Next chapter of this is a bit of a blast from the past, in that it's another astraphobia fic. Haven't done one of those since 2017-2018 in one of my BatIM fics, heh</p>
<p>Next chapter features two grown-ass adults dealing with their shared fear of thunderstorms, stay tuned</p>
<p>Also, please feel free to comment, I like talking with people (pls tell me how I could've improved this, I'm at a fucking loss here for some reason)</p>
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    <strike>psst, did you notice that Whitty is actually the one who's taking charge of the hug in this one? he only does that when he's scared for the other person's well-being :)</strike>
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